Armed to make a difference.  This was Numancia, Aklan during the inter-agency national Nutrition Evaluation Team (NET)’s visit last March 20-23, 2012, to monitor their performance as one of this year’s contenders for  the 2^nd Year Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition (CROWN) Maintenance Award.  The LGU’s Municipal and Barangay Nutrition Committees showcased their best nutrition activities in 2011 in the hope of maintaining the said CROWN Award. Among these practices are their barangay communal gardens, the “Piso Para sa Nutrisyon” tin cans at each barangay, and the Nutrition Tiangge- an innovative project of the Municipal Nutrition Committee (MNC).

The team, composed of Lorna O. Garcia, University Extension Specialist I, College of Human Ecology, UP Los Baños and Jovita A. Kotani, Project Evaluation Officer of the Department of Agriculture- Central Office was led by Cynthia B. Vengco, Nutrition Officer III of the National Nutrition Council (NNC)- Central Office.  They assessed the efficiency of the LGU’s nutrition improvement efforts as well as determined if the municipality had further reduced the prevalence of malnutrition among preschool children and school children.  This was done through review of MNC records which include the 2011 nutrition action plan, physical and financial accomplishment reports, and related documents.  They also visited three randomly-sampled barangays to validate nutrition program implementation at the barangay level and to conduct weighing of sample preschool children.